


Remember When

by InspectorBoxer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:24:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9770225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InspectorBoxer/pseuds/InspectorBoxer
Summary: She was a stranger to this woman again. It was staggering how much that hurt.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fictorium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Lola! Hope you enjoy the first of many chapters to come with this one. ;) 
> 
> Special thanks to zennie, spaceshipsarecool, and BridgetteIrish for their feedback and edits!

Facing the end of the world had been easier than this.

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, Kara stepped into Cat’s hospital room. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised to find Adam there, but the sight of him made her pause and consider backing away before she was noticed. Carter sat in a nearby chair, his head down and a pensive look on his young features. 

And then there was Cat, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, her back to Kara, and Kara breathed a little easier at the sight of her. For one last, precious moment, Kara could almost convince herself everything was fine, that nothing had changed even though everything had.

Adam glanced up, hesitating when he saw her, but then a thin, grateful smile ghosted over his lips. “Hey,” he greeted gently.

“Hi,” Kara answered, her gaze lingering on Cat. “How is she?”

“ _She_ is sitting right here listening to the two of you talk about me as if I weren’t.” Cat turned, eyeing Kara blankly. “Do I know you?” she asked tightly, and Kara didn’t miss the trace of fear in Cat’s voice she was doing her best to disguise.

Willing herself not to cry, Kara clenched her jaw. Alex had warned her, but she’d harbored some pathetic desire Cat would see her and everything would come flooding back. “Yes. I, um…” She glanced at Carter who was watching her now, his blue eyes filling with tears. “I used to work for you, Ms. Grant. Still do, technically.” 

Cat glanced curiously at her older son where he hovered at her side, and Adam nodded, confirming her story. 

“And you are?” Cat asked, looking back at Kara impatiently.

“Kara. Kara Danvers.” She adjusted her glasses and stepped forward, offering her hand, and Cat took it slowly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to puzzle Kara out. There was no recognition in Cat’s eyes, none of the warmth Kara had savored when they’d last said goodbye. She was a stranger to this woman again. It was staggering how much that hurt.

“Hmm,” Cat murmured, her gaze darting curiously over Kara’s features. Kara stood there, enduring Cat’s scrutiny, praying her presence might jar something loose in Cat’s mind. A glimpse of a moment they’d shared. A flicker of the friendship they’d finally managed to achieve.

But there was nothing.

“They think whatever that alien injected her with wiped out the last four years,” Adam explained quietly.

Kara swallowed. She’d already heard. Alex had broken the news to her a few hours ago when they’d learned Cat had been involved in the attack on the National City Boardwalk that morning. Cat’s memory of their friendship was gone and then some. According to Alex, it was likely never coming back.

“Kara used to be your assistant, Mom,” Carter finally spoke.

Cat sighed. “No wonder I don’t recognize you. You were likely in my employ, what? A week, maybe two?” Cat tried to downplay forgetting Kara as if it were to be expected. “Points for sucking up, though. None of my other employees have bothered.”

It took effort, but Kara managed a smile. “Actually, Ms. Grant, I was your assistant for over two years. You promoted me about six months ago. Let me choose my path in the company.”

Cat blinked in surprise before looking at Carter who smiled faintly and nodded. “Well. Kiera, was it? You must be quite something then.”

Kara didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

****

Alex smiled tiredly as Maggie approached, the setting sun bringing out glints of fire in her girlfriend’s dark hair. She was a sight for literally sore eyes, and Alex guiltily drank her in. Behind her, crime scene tape fluttered in the ocean breeze, sealing off the restaurant that had been the location of one of the more terrifying alien attacks the city had ever seen.

“Hey,” Maggie greeted her, snapping off her blue latex gloves as she leaned on the rail next to Alex. “J’onn transfer you onto this one?” Alex hadn’t been on shift when everything went down.

“You’re part of the team on this, right?” Alex asked, handing Maggie a coffee she figured the detective could use about now.

Maggie nodded, taking the cup gratefully. “Pretty much the whole science division is. Fancy restaurant. A bunch of well-to-do civilians attacked by an alien. We’re lucky the entire department isn’t out here.”

Alex tapped the back of one of Maggie’s hands. “Do me a favor? Double glove.”

Maggie’s gaze narrowed as she swallowed her first sip. “Why?”

“The alien is a Zividian,” Alex explained.

“Never heard of them.”

“Not a surprise. It’s a long story, one I’ll share with you later, but he’s a criminal. The DEO has been looking for him for years.”

Crossing her arms, Maggie glanced back at the scene before focusing on Alex again. “So why the extra precaution?”

“Zividians can secrete a toxin through their skin, especially through their hands. Prolonged contact with it can make you lose your memory. Permanently.”

Maggie drew in a deep breath. “Double gloves it is,” she muttered. “So far no one has experienced that particular issue except two of the civilians in the attack.”

“The toxin doesn’t last long when it’s exposed to oxygen, but I don’t...” Alex pursed her lips. “I’d really hate for you to forget about me,” she joked faintly.

“Fat chance of that, Danvers.” Maggie grinned. “Did you just come down here to warn us? Wouldn’t a text have been faster?”

Alex sighed, sliding her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “I need you to keep me in the loop on this one.”

Waves thundered ashore in front of them, a few seagulls swooping past to land on the empty sand as the sun continued to sink, all the beach goers kept at bay for now. Maggie’s brow furrowed at Alex’s request as she watched the birds distractedly. “Some reason your fellow agents can’t clue you in? There’s been plenty of them swarming around today.”

“This is personal for me. To a point,” Alex amended as Maggie’s gaze shifted to her again, those beautiful, dark eyes accessing her in ways only Maggie could. “Cat Grant was one of the victims.”

“I heard. Word is she’s being released already. Suffered some shallow lacerations, but nothing too serious.”

“Except she’s lost the last four years of her life.”

“Except that,” Maggie allowed, “but at least she’s alive. The other guy…” Maggie took a quick glance at her notes. “Parker. He lost so much of his memory he doesn’t even know how to talk.”

Alex leaned on the rail next to her girlfriend. “I know.”

“Can they get it back?” Maggie asked, clearly suspecting the answer.

Alex shrugged. “We’ve never been able to come up with something to counteract the toxin. This guy attacks so randomly and, with such long intervals in between, no one ever considered it a priority, either.”

“So the Queen of All Media. She a friend of yours?” 

“Kara’s. They’re close. _Were_ close. She’s… pretty broken up about this. Cat won’t remember her.”

Maggie straightened. “Jesus. That’s rough.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, but it’s worse than that for Kara. She lost everything when Krypton died. _Everything_. And unlike Superman, Kara was old enough to remember her family. Her friends. Her _world_. She struggles enough with change, but being abandoned? That’s…” Alex bit her lip. Kara, would outlive them all, would watch everyone she ever loved leave her behind again and again, but having Cat still there yet lost to her seemed an especially cruel twist. “And I’m on another case. J’onn won’t let me work both, and he’s ordered me to butt out of this one.”

“You’ve got a conflict of interest, Danvers.” Maggie’s voice was more hushed now, her eyes glistening when she met Alex’s gaze again. Alex knew Maggie liked Kara, had been pleased to see them growing closer lately.

“I do.” There was no point in denying it. “But damn near every case I have is a conflict of interest when you-know-who is my sister.” Alex tilted her head, unashamed to bring out the puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

Maggie smirked weakly and shook her head. “Playing dirty pool there, Alex.” She sighed. “Okay. I’ll get my hands on what I can. Give me a few more hours, and I’ll meet you at your place, okay?”

Alex leaned in and kissed Maggie gently. “My hero.”

****

It was terrifying, waking up to a world that had changed so much seemingly overnight. Carter was a foot taller. Adam was back in her life after years and years of estrangement. There were buildings on the National City skyline Cat didn’t recognize. Her empire had expanded to six more countries. And apparently, the city now had its own Kryptonian superhero flitting about that she’d dubbed ‘Supergirl.’ 

How original.

Four years didn’t sound like a lifetime of memories, but losing them certainly felt like it. 

They’d already dropped Adam at his hotel and were headed home to her penthouse. Cat was both apprehensive and curious about the apartment, not having remembered buying the damn thing. Needing a distraction from her growing anxieties, Cat focused on the young woman sitting across from her in the town car. 

According to Adam, Kara Danvers was a miracle worker, having brought Adam back into Cat’s life and helping them to repair their relationship. Carter seemed to worship the ground Kara walked on, surprisingly. This stranger obviously had a way of wrapping the Grant men around her proverbial finger, but if Cat had let her this close to her sons, Kara must have worked a little of her magic on Cat as well. 

Since showing up at the hospital, Kara hadn’t left her side. There was something about her that made Cat feel safe, warm, and protected. Perhaps trusting Kara was a muscle memory, something she’d done so often and effortlessly she didn’t have to think about it. Cat struggled to imagine a scenario where she’d ever let someone get that close.

Carter snored softly into the tense silence. He was asleep, his head resting heavily against the other door. Cat’s last memory of him before all this was of a ten-year-old boy telling her goodnight in his Superman pajamas. It wasn’t fair she couldn’t remember him growing into this handsome young man. She’d missed out on almost all of Adam’s life, and now she’d lost four years with Carter...

Battling down a rising sense of panic and grief, Cat cleared her throat. “So… Kiera. What is it you do for me now that you’re no longer fetching me lattes?”

“Kara,” the young woman corrected softly, but firmly, and Cat didn’t miss the flicker of pain in her oh-so-blue eyes when Kara met her gaze. 

“Been down this road, have we?” Cat asked hesitantly, surprising them both.

Kara’s lips lifted somewhat. She had a lovely smile, Cat had to admit, and she wanted to see more of it. “We have. It was a rather long one,” Kara added, her smile growing fond.

Cat found Kara’s gentle, solid presence disarming but not… unpleasant. 

“The first time you actually called me by my name, I think I nearly passed out,” Kara teased.

“Hmm. So what is it you do?”

“I’m a reporter now.”

“You went from being my assistant to a reporter? Quite the leap.”

“Not without its pitfalls,” Kara said. “You… hired Snapper Carr to direct a new investigative unit. I report directly to him now. He’s not a big fan of mine.”

“Snapper?” Cat rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised he’d come work for me. Do you know what he calls me?”

“The puff princess.”

Cat shot her a look, and Kara smiled more genuinely.

“He obviously doesn’t know you as well as I…” Kara swallowed, biting off the rest of her words and glancing out the window as she closed off, clamping down on her emotions.

For the first time, Cat realized she wasn’t the only one who had lost something today. Carter, Adam, even Kara… this _condition_ affected them all. She swore, and Kara looked back at her instantly.

“You okay?”

“No. I’ve had things stolen from me and I want them back.” 

Kara took a shaky breath. “I don’t know exactly what you’re feeling, Ms. Grant, but I know something about loss, about how it feels to have your world torn away. I know this must be… hard...”

Cat snorted faintly, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the haunted look in Kara’s eyes. While Cat didn’t have all her memories, she did remember interviews with hundreds of people over her career who had loved and lost during unspeakable tragedy. She knew the look well, but she’d never seen it run quite so deeply before. Her curiosity ratcheted even higher. “Do you often have a gift for understatement… Kara?” Her tone came out gentler than intended.

Kara watched her carefully, but her eyes warmed again with the proper use of her name. Cat rather liked that. “According to you, I do,” Kara answered readily. “One of my flaws, along with my strip mall wardrobe.”

She liked this girl, Cat decided, seeing a fire in her that reminded Cat a little of herself. “While I’m in a forgetful state, I think I’ll forget all about my diet for the night. Would you like to join us for pizza?”

“I’d love to, Ms. Grant.”

****

“She’s treating me like I’m a little kid.”

Kara glanced askance at Carter as they set the table. Cat had wandered through the apartment when they’d arrived, taking in the space with frank curiosity before retreating to her bedroom to change. She’d been in there too long for Kara’s liking, and Kara itched to check on her. 

“Your mom’s last memory of you is four years ago. She’ll adapt, Carter. You just have to have a little patience, okay?” she urged him gently.

Carter sighed. “I’m not mad.” He began filling glasses of water for them at the dispenser on the refrigerator, passing them to Kara to place on the table one by one. “I get it, you know? It’s just… weird. All these conversations we’ve had, even the ones we haven’t had yet, she doesn’t… she doesn’t _know_.”

Kara swallowed, thinking of more than one conversation she and Cat had never shared as well. “Yeah,” she sighed.

“I’m really glad you’re here, though,” Carter said seriously. “Mom always depended on you, and you helped her so much the last few years. She’s been meaning to call you.”

The news made Kara pause, her heart rate ramping up in surprise. “Really?”

Carter nodded distractedly as he tucked napkins under their plates. “She’s missed you.”

“I’ve… missed your mom too, kiddo.” Kara clenched her jaw, willing the tears beginning to brim in her eyes not to fall. The thought she’d never have her Cat back… that the friendship and respect she’d fought so hard to earn, that had come to mean so much, were just gone from Cat’s mind… Rao, it hurt. 

“Sorry,” Carter murmured, and Kara could well imagine the stricken expression on her features that alerted him to her distress. 

“It’s okay,” Kara promised him, but she wiped at her eyes beneath her glasses. “It’s, um… the important thing is that she’s still here, that we still get to make more memories with your mom, okay?”

Carter took a breath and nodded. “Know what’s really weird, though?”

Kara arched an eyebrow, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“Mom doesn’t remember divorcing dad.”

For some peculiar reason, Kara’s stomach plummeted. “She thinks… Is she… I…”

Carter watched her carefully. “They were nearly to that point. From what I can tell, mom remembers about a month or two before they filed.”

Kara ached for Cat, but the news left her strangely… jealous? That’s what the emotion burning in her chest resembled, but Kara didn’t want to dwell on why she would feel that way. “Um… why don’t I go check on her? You want to wait here for the pizza? Maybe check in with Adam?”

“Sure.”

They shared a hurting smile, and Kara lightly squeezed his shoulder before going in search of his mother. 

Taking a moment in the hallway, Kara closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, trying to shore up her defenses before she faced the lack of recognition in Cat’s eyes again. She would fall apart later, grieve the amazing woman Cat had become, the friend Kara had lost. 

Kara stood, doing her best to bear this latest loss along with too many others, the weight of a world resting wearily on her shoulders. Cat’s loss was especially heavy, and Kara knew every time she saw Cat’s face she would experience it all over again. 

But Cat needed her, maybe more than ever, and right now, for Kara, that was all that mattered.

****


	2. Chapter 2

“How’d you know I was here?” 

Maggie pivoted on her boot heel as she stepped inside Kara’s apartment to give Alex a weary look of amusement. So tired she was barely on her feet, the sight of her girlfriend still perked her up enough to get her through a few more hours. “Where else would you be under the circumstances? And I pinged your phone.”

“You pinged my phone?” Alex pretended to be scandalized as she closed and locked the door.

“You’re going rogue on this, Danvers. I have to keep an eye on you. Where’s Kara?”

“With Cat, helping her get settled.” 

Before Maggie could ask another question, Alex gathered her into a hug, settling her chin on Maggie’s shoulder. It felt amazing, something Maggie needed and hadn’t known it. She sank against her girlfriend without protest. “You okay?” Maggie asked softly.

“Better now,” Alex mumbled. “Thank you for helping us with this.”

“Of course.” Maggie was skirting a thin line with such a high-profile case, but Alex was worth the risk. If she got called to the carpet by her superiors for helping, so be it. 

“Were you able to get the files?”

“You only want me for my badge,” Maggie accused with an indulgent smile.

Alex pulled her in a little tighter, her hands sliding wonderfully up Maggie’s back to hold her close. “You are especially hot when you have that thing clipped on your belt,” Alex whispered in her ear.

Maggie snorted.

“Come on.” Alex leaned back. “My awkward compliments are one of the reasons you love me…”

Sucking down a breath in surprise, Maggie’s heart rate spiked, accelerating so quickly it left her lightheaded. Neither of them had used _that_ word yet, even if Maggie had been tempted too many times to count since Valentine’s Day, but the look of sheer panic on Alex’s face almost made her laugh.

“Like me,” Alex quickly corrected, her fair features beginning to color. “You know what I mean. Not that I meant you meant…” she babbled. 

“Alex, chill.” Taking pity on her, Maggie leaned up and kissed her gently before she met Alex’s gaze, saying with her eyes what she wasn’t quite ready to confess with her mouth. 

Alex stared at her, a wondering smile ghosting over her lips. “Maggie…” she breathed.

Unable to resist the desire to feel that smile against her own, Maggie kissed her again, this time with a little more heat. They lingered for a few precious moments, simply enjoying one another and the chance to be together at the end of difficult day. 

When they finally parted, the air was charged with the current between them. Maggie savored it a moment longer before reluctantly letting go. 

“So.” Maggie cleared her throat, shifting awkwardly into detective mode. “What the police have…” With a swallow and more willpower than she knew she possessed, Maggie regretfully stepped away from Alex and walked over to the dining room table. Dropping her messenger bag on it, she began to retrieve the first of many folders inside it. 

Alex gave her another version of the puppy dog look she employed on the boardwalk earlier, but this one was more effective because she didn’t even realize she was doing it. Maggie shook her head a little. She’d fallen disgustingly hard and pathetically fast for this woman. “I made copies of everything. Don’t pass them around or you’ll get me fired,” she joked as she tugged another thick folder out of her bag.

“I’ll guard them with my life.” Alex took the first file Maggie handed her. “Do you guys have any idea who the target was?” She thumbed the folder open and began skimming the contents. “We’ve got agents discreetly on both Cat and Parker, just in case.”

Pulling another folder out of her bag, Maggie shrugged. “He went for Todd Parker first.” She mimed grabbing the victim by the wrist with her free hand. “Held onto him the longest. Cat tried to intervene, could see something was wrong.”

“Is that clear on the surveillance video?” 

“Yeah. I don’t think you want Kara to see it, though.” 

Alex hesitated. “Why?”

“You can tell,” Maggie said carefully, not sure of Alex’s relationship to Cat, how she might feel to watch what went down. “The moment their memories just… You can tell. It’s not graphic, but it’s unsettling as hell.”

Alex wiped a hand over her mouth and nodded again. “And Cat and Parker were the only two affected?”

“And a waiter, as it turns out. He’d gotten knocked around in the scuffle when your Zivi-whatever went a little bonkers on everyone.”

“How much did he lose?”

“A day. He had glancing contact with the alien, but he can’t remember anything after what he had for breakfast yesterday. Coco Puffs, in case you were dying to know.” Her second attempt to lighten the mood brought a wisp of a smile to Alex’s lips.

“So maybe the effectiveness of the toxin breaks down faster than we thought. It loses potency with each touch.”

“Maybe. Or maybe it was about exposure, the time he hung onto them. The waiter smacked your alien with a tray to make him turn Cat loose. Who knows how much she would have lost if he held on another second or two.”

Alex winced. “Who does Parker work for?”

“The Department of Alien Affairs. I thought you knew.”

“I don’t get into the politics. They make me itch and want to punch people. Keeping Kara out of trouble is enough to keep me busy.”

“That is a full-time job,” Maggie agreed with a faint grin. She settled on the couch, and Alex flopped down next to her, scooping a folder off the coffee table and handing it to her. “What’s this?” 

“Everything we have on the Zividian the DEO has been hunting for the last decade. With all your alien connections, I assume you’ve heard about Fort Rozz?”

“He was an inmate?” Flipping open the file, Maggie frowned at the image of the alien looking back at her. He could pass for human with his short dark hair and baby blue eyes until you saw the palms of his hands. The slits across his flesh vaguely resembled gills. She grimaced at the thought of what might ooze out of them, how they could wipe away a life and still leave the shell behind.

“Yeah.”

“No wonder you guys are all up in our jurisdiction.”

Alex gave her a look but didn’t take the bait. “Be careful, okay? I know you’re not front and center on this, but if you’re going after him... be careful.”

Maggie nodded in understanding. “That goes both ways, Danvers. I don’t want you forgetting about me, either.”

****

They would come looking for her soon. 

Cat could sense Carter and Kara’s growing concern at her prolonged absence. Her son’s worry was to be expected. She was Carter’s mother after all, and now she’d forgotten the last four years of his life. Cat felt guilty, like she should have fought somehow, held on more tightly to the memories of his voice deepening, his shoulders broadening, to every inch he’d grown. Was he dating yet? Did he like girls? Boys? Both? It made her feel like a failure that she didn’t know.

Damn it, she should remember. Memories like that shouldn’t be so easy to take.

And then there was Kara. Kara was a stranger to her, but Cat knew Kara was worried. She could feel it almost like a physical ache. Her brain blanked when it came to those blue eyes, that pretty smile, but Cat’s body, her instincts, seemed to blindly trust the girl, even seemed to care for her and want her close. No one had ever made her feel like that, and without the memories to back up her physical responses, Cat doubted them, questioned them, but she couldn’t make them stop.

Four years. Four goddamn years.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Cat stared at her reflection in the dresser mirror. She’d aged well, at least, not that there had ever been any doubt, but her hair was longer than she remembered, more honeyed and golden than the brassy blonde she’d adopted for her corporate image. Carter had told her she’d taken a leave of absence from CatCo several months ago, and Cat tried to imagine the mental journey she would have undertaken to make the choice to walk away from her empire. She’d worked too damn long and hard to build it to leave it in someone else’s hands.

Glancing around the bedroom again, Cat had to admit the taste was impeccably and undoubtedly hers. It looked like it could be her space, her sanctuary. Hell, it even smelled right, oddly enough, but she couldn’t remember a single scrap of it. Everything was off. Wrong. Her very environment scraped against her rough edges and irritated the hell out of her.

A hesitant knock drew Cat’s gaze to the doorway, and she was unsurprised to see Kara lingering there, an apologetic look in her eyes. Cat willed herself to remember something of this girl, but there was nothing.

But unlike her environment, Kara didn’t feel wrong or out of place. Cat couldn’t shake the sense of belonging around this woman, and it continued to both compel and unnerve her.

“I don’t believe I requested your presence,” Cat said quietly.

“You didn’t, but…” Kara sighed. “I know you don’t remember me, Ms. Grant, but I know you… pretty well actually.” She took an uneven breath. “I knew you’d be in here… obsessing.”

Well. The girl wasn’t wrong, but Cat wasn’t sure how she felt about someone getting close enough to learn her secrets, her tells. Cat’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

“The pizza will be here soon,” Kara continued bravely. “You need to eat something. Carter said you haven’t had anything since breakfast.”

“No. I was apparently rudely interrupted,” Cat muttered. She hiked one eyebrow as Kara came closer, uninvited, and settled next to Cat on the bed. That Kara dared take such a liberty spoke volumes, and Cat was once more baffled at what this bumbling, albeit kind, woman could have done to get into her good graces. 

“There’s something you need to understand, okay?” Kara’s blue eyes held Cat’s gaze effortlessly.

Cat waited, regarding her dubiously.

“You’re my... friend, which I know you’re probably really skeptical of right about now, but I don’t walk away when my friends need me. You’re frightened, and angry, and sad, but you are not alone.”

It wasn’t the words that gave her solace so much as it was Kara’s stubborn and steadfast presence that comforted her. Cat’s throat tightened and she swallowed roughly. “What did you _do_?” she pleaded, needing to understand.

Kara frowned. “Do?”

“I don’t do friends. Not close ones. Not ones that I let near my son… into my home… So what did you _do_ that I made an exception with you?”

“I…” Kara glanced down at her hands where they sat clasped and fidgeting in her lap. “I don’t know. It’s… we just… we _get_ each other. In ways no one else ever has.”

“I don’t get you now,” Cat said plainly. “I don’t even know you. Why stay?”

“You’re my friend,” Kara insisted. “I… I _care_ about you, Cat.”

Oh. That was interesting. Cat took an unsteady breath as a pleasant flush of heat swept through her at hearing the girl saying her name. Was that tingle in her stomach new or something familiar? “Cat?” she asked pointedly, but the rebuttal lacked venom.

Kara blinked, her hand quickly going over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I…” Kara cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” 

Cat watched her, appreciating the distraction from the mess her life had become. Kara was certainly different from the kind of people Cat typically found surrounding her. Surely, though, Kara wasn’t as sweet and nice as she seemed. “I like it better.”

Kara blinked, struggling to regain her composure. “Like what better?”

“When you call me Cat.” Cat savored the shy surprise that bloomed in Kara’s eyes before she quickly glanced away. “So, can I assume Richard is out of the picture? I don’t see his things.” It had been a shock at first, but then relief had quickly followed. Things had been going badly between them for some time. It was one of the few things Cat didn’t mind forgetting. 

“Richard?” 

“My husband.”

“Right,” Kara murmured. She swallowed audibly, looking uncomfortable. “Um… You…”

“Who filed? Me or him?”

“You,” Kara said slowly, watching Cat closely to gauge her reaction. “Would you like me to call him? Would it make you feel better if he were…” she began reluctantly.

“You make me feel better.” It was Cat’s turn to blink, surprised she’d uttered the thought out loud, her body betraying her again. “I don’t believe we need to trouble Richard with any of this right now.” 

“Oh.” The shy pleasure was back in Kara’s eyes again.

Cat caught herself staring. Kara really was quite beautiful even if she hid herself behind her strip-mall clothes and dark glasses. Why such a striking girl would hide herself in such a way was a mystery. Perhaps solving the riddle that was Kara Danvers would be just the thing she needed to focus on, other than the nightmare she was currently enduring.

“Thank you,” Cat murmured, and when Kara gaped in surprise, Cat knew her capacity to offer gratitude had obviously not improved drastically during the last few years. “I don’t know you… but I…” She swallowed. “I want to.”

A pretty, sad smile sprang to Kara’s lips. “Then let’s… let’s start over.” Slowly, she extended her hand. “Kara Danvers, nice to meet you.”

Cat’s mouth twisted at the gesture, but something thawed in her chest as she shook Kara’s hand, playing along. Kara’s skin was startlingly soft, almost hot to the touch, and her grip was firm and sure. “Catherine Grant,” she drawled, “but you can call me Cat,” she added pointedly.

“It’s very nice to meet you… Cat,” Kara said a little breathlessly, her smile now blinding and beautiful.

Cat had a sudden suspicion why she’d kept this girl close. That planted a seed of worry in the back of her mind, but she ignored it. Things were dark and frightening right now, and Kara’s warmth and light were exactly what she needed to see her way through this.

“The pleasure is all mine… Kara.”

****


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken all of Kara’s willpower to leave.

Cat had been so tired she’d nodded off on the couch once or twice after dinner. Kara had finally insisted Cat go to bed, resisting the urge to pick her up and carry Cat there herself. After some huffing and puffing, Cat had finally relented, once more giving Kara an inscrutable look as she’d bid her goodnight and retired to her room.

Kara had lingered awhile longer, making sure Carter was comfortable with the situation. He’d been determined to be there for his mother, and Kara couldn’t have been prouder of him if he were her own child. She’d kissed him on the crown of his head and left the penthouse, but she hadn’t gone far.

Quickly changing into her super suit, Kara had hovered outside Cat’s window, watching over her until Cat had fallen into an uneasy sleep. Kara had wished she could slip back inside and settle on the end of Cat’s bed to guard her dreams, to watch the rise and fall of her chest with every breath, to have proof Cat wasn’t gone, only the memories between them. 

She’d flown for more than an hour after that, trying in vain to clear her head, but her thoughts were still a jumbled, grieving mess. Giving up on finding any kind of clarity, she returned to her apartment, drifting quietly in through the open window.

Her boots touched the ground and Kara stood there, the weight of the day and all it had taken from her enough to bow her back. She grabbed hold of a chair, trying to keep from falling to her knees. If she let the tears come, she was afraid they might never stop.

“Kara.”

Twitching in surprise, she glanced up, startled to find Maggie standing there awkwardly in front of her, worry in her dark eyes.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Maggie trailed off as she caught sight of the tears in Kara’s eyes. Her head tilted in sympathy. “C’mere,” she murmured, stepping closer and pulling Kara into a hug.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Kara clung to her, careful not to squeeze too hard. Maggie was even more fragile in her arms than Alex, but the contact was exactly what she needed. “It’s just gone,” Kara whispered as a few tears slipped free. “Everything we’ve been through. Every smile. Every insult. Every fight. Every pep talk… it’s just… _gone_.”

“I know.” Maggie stroked Kara’s back. “I wish there was something I could do. I can only promise I’ll do everything I can to bring the man who did this to justice.”

Kara nodded, and Maggie stepped back, giving her a sad smile. 

“You’re working the case?” Kara asked, wiping at her eyes.

“Yeah. I’m not primary, but as far as I’m concerned, this is the only case I have, okay?” Maggie sighed, glancing at the door. “Alex went out for ice cream. She thought you could use some. Sorry she’s not here…”

“It’s okay,” Kara said softly, eyeing her sister’s girlfriend with gratitude. “I’m… I’m glad you are.”

Maggie swallowed, looking unsure, and Kara managed an encouraging smile. Their relationship largely revolved around Alex, and Kara was never sure what boundaries should be between them or which should be broken down. Maggie’s presence tonight, her empathy and concern, meant more to Kara than Maggie would ever know. In this moment, Maggie felt like family.  
“Me too.” Maggie took a breath. “How’s Cat?”

“She’s… scared and trying to pretend like she’s not. Carter, her son, he’s being amazing, but…” Kara fell silent, lost in her thoughts for a long moment. “You think of people as just being who they are, you know? You don’t think about how they’re the sum of their experiences, that if you removed certain moments from their lives that they would be… someone else.”

Nodding, Maggie leaned against the table. She looked exhausted, and Kara’s heart swelled a little with affection that Maggie was so clearly trying to step up for her, to be there to help.  “Does Cat seem like someone else to you?”

“She’s still Cat,” Kara explained. “Still all the things that amaze and frustrate me, but… but there’s this… warmth missing from her. A hole where our friendship used to be. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“You can fill that hole, Kara. Make new memories.”

“It’s not the same…”

“It’s not,” Maggie agreed, “but the other person who was attacked… he lost all of those moments you’re talking about. He’s a blank slate again at 63.”

Kara drew in a deep breath, straightening at the thought. “He lost everything?”

“He doesn’t even know how to talk,” Maggie said gently. “Cat… Cat got off lucky, as strange as that sounds.” She shook her head. “Look, I’m not telling you to count your blessings. You lost something that mattered to you… a lot.”

“Someone,” Kara corrected with a hint of frustration.

“No.” Maggie shook her head again. “Cat is still here. You can try again. You’ve learned all the shortcuts.” She smiled. “It’ll be hard and painful, but if you care about her, it’ll also be worth it.”

The words steadied her, refocused Kara’s grief. “A second chance…” 

“Maybe you can do this one better than the last,” Maggie suggested. “Maybe what you’ll have between you this time will be more than you could have hoped for.”

The thought buoyed her spirits somewhat, gave Kara a goal she was suddenly determined to achieve. Kara hugged Maggie again just as a key turned in the lock. Alex stepped inside, going still when she found her girlfriend and sister clinging to one another. 

“Thank you,” Kara murmured before she let Maggie go. “Give me a second to change,” Kara told her startled sister. “And there better be Chunky Monkey in one of those bags. I call dibs.”

****

Cat didn’t know how the damn shower worked.

In the grand scheme of things, momentary confusion about knobs and levers mattered little, but the shallow pool of irritation under Cat’s confusion and grief was deepening. How many times had she stepped into her shower without thought, taking for granted she knew how to use the damn thing?

Cursing whatever alien had left her in this mess, Cat spent five minutes relearning what knob did what. Of course, she had to have every feature imaginable. Heaven forbid she just turn something and climb in.

Finally finding a setting that was satisfactory, Cat disrobed before stepping under the spray. She reached for the shower gel, frowning at the finger-sized bruises wrapped around her lower right arm. It was proof of the assault she couldn’t remember, and Cat frowned, running the soap over the area first and then scrubbing the skin a vivid pink. He’d taken memories and left bruises behind, and Cat wanted no sign of him or what he’d stolen on her body.

Lingering longer than necessary as she formulated an attack plan for her day, Cat finally shut off the water. Adam was stopping by for breakfast within the hour. She was anxious to see him but determined to find out more about Kara’s role in bringing them back together. She was determined to find out more about Kara, period.

****

Alex woke with a start, wincing as sunlight glinted off the glass coffee table and reflected into her eyes. She shifted, feeling Maggie snuggle closer, her warmth welcome across Alex’s lap. Glancing around, Alex was surprised to find they’d fallen asleep on Kara’s couch.

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

Kara’s low voice made her twitch, and Alex turned to find Kara in the chair across from her. Her sister was still in her pajamas, her socked feet up on the chair as she watched Alex and Maggie with a soft smile, looking far younger than her 26 years. Thanks to her Kryptonian biology, Kara showed no signs she’d been up all night crying, but Alex knew she had. She’d stayed awake, listening to Kara’s soft sobs, her own tears falling with her inability to do anything more than silently be there for her sister.

“What are you doing?” Alex whispered.

“Watching you two sleep. You’re disgustingly cute together.”

Alex blushed, glancing down at Maggie who was sprawled across the couch, her head pillowed in Alex’s lap. Neither had fallen asleep in the best position, and Alex suspected they’d both be nothing but kinks and knots all day. “You okay?”

Kara shrugged. “Trying to be. Thanks for staying last night. Both of you.” She glanced at Maggie’s sleeping features. “I’m kinda jealous of you two.”

Stroking her fingers through Maggie’s hair, Alex knew she was damn lucky, luckier than most. “I’m really sorry about Cat, Kara.” Alex didn’t dare bring up the crush she knew Kara had on her boss. Her sister’s grief was still too fresh, and as resistant as Kara had been to talk about her feelings for Cat it in the past, Alex suspected it would only be worse now that Kara’s version of Cat was… gone.

“Me too.” Kara dropped her gaze. “I’m gonna get a shower, then I’ll run out and get us some breakfast.”

“You sure?”

Kara nodded quickly. “Life goes on, right?” She unfurled from the chair.

“I can make us some coffee,” Alex offered, but Kara shook her head.

“No. Just… hold onto her as long as you can.” Tears swam in Kara’s eyes as she stared at them. “Enjoy it, Alex. You never known when...”

“Kara…” Alex murmured, hurting for her sister. She tried to reach out, to grab Kara’s hand, but Kara backed away.

“I’m going to go get that shower.” Kara gave her a forced smile before leaving them alone. 

Sighing, Alex stared at Maggie’s sleeping features. She’d been exhausted the night before, and Alex wasn’t surprised Maggie had slept through their quiet conversation. Gently, she brushed Maggie’s hair away from her cheek, watching her lover sleep. Taking her sister’s advice, Alex savored the moment.

****

“How are you feeling?” Adam asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

Cat shrugged. “Feels like any other day,” she admitted, watching him across the kitchen table. Carter was darting around the penthouse, gathering his things for school. It was surreal having both her boys under the same roof, but Cat rather enjoyed it. “Thank you, though,” she murmured, trying to be on her best behavior. “For coming all this way.”

Adam’s features softened, and he smiled. “Of course. I have to go back to Opal City for work for a few days, but I’ll come back after that.”

“You don’t need to upend your life for me, Adam,” Cat said, but she was secretly pleased. She could scarcely believe the moment was real, that they were in the same room together and not arguing. It wasn’t fair she’d regained him in her life only to lose those new memories of them together. She’d missed out on so much of his life already.

“It’s no trouble. I like getting to spend time with Carter, getting to know him better, and I’d like to be here for you.” He reached across the table, gripping Cat’s hand and giving it a squeeze. Her heart clenched at the gesture. 

“You’re always welcome.”

Adam grinned, taking another sip of his coffee. “This is seriously weird for you, isn’t it?”

“You have no idea,” Cat confessed honestly, smirking a little, “but this part of the whole ordeal… having you here… this is nice.”

“Well, you can count on me and Carter to help you all we can. And Kara, of course.”

“Yes. _Kara_.” Cat straightened slightly, appreciating the nice segue Adam had provided into the subject she was most curious about. “You mentioned the other day she brought us back together. How did that happen?”

Adam hesitated. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that yet. Without the context of your relationship, her actions might… upset you.”

Cat arched one eyebrow, more curious now than ever. “Do tell then.”

Chuckling faintly, Adam shook his head, resigned. “Apparently, you’d been trying to write me for a long time, but never really… well, you never sent anything.”

Shifting uncomfortably, Cat thought of the many times she’d tried to reach out only to tear up the notes and throw them in the trash. “That I recall.”

“Well, one night, you were angry about something, and you threw one of those balled-up letters at Kara’s head.”

Coloring slightly, Cat took a sip of her own coffee to hide her embarrassment. “Did I? That doesn’t sound like me at all…”

“Cat,” he chastised.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. What did she do?”

Adam took a breath. “She read it… and then she finished it and mailed it.”

Cat blinked once. Twice. 

“Now, before you get mad, it worked. I came,” Adam reminded her. “It was tough at first, but Kara sat us down and helped us talk to one another.”

“She did _what_?” Cat asked slowly, her temper beginning to boil. The _nerve_ of that girl. “You mean I didn’t fire her on the spot for such a gross invasion of my privacy?”

“You need to understand, Kara lost her family when she was twelve. They died in a fire. Family is important to her, and she wanted to help, wanted to make sure we didn’t lose any more time than we already had. She did it for you, knowing you could react the way you are right now, but she did it anyway because she cares about you.”

That took some of the wind out of her sails, but the thought of the young woman pretending to be _her_ , luring her son to National City under false pretenses, was unacceptable. 

“And for the record, you did threaten to fire her. You did that a lot, actually, but Kara stuck by you anyway.”

“You seem… smitten,” Cat murmured, sternly telling herself she did not feel a stirring of jealousy in the pit of her stomach over the thought of her son and Kara together.  

“We… went out.”

Cat straightened at the news, fiddling with the napkin next to her coffee.

“It didn’t work out. Honestly…” Adam shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. “But I like her. She’s a good person. More time in her company, and you’ll be smitten again too.”

“Again?” Cat asked. Some of her memories might be gone, but her wits weren’t.

“Sometimes I forget you were an award-winning journalist.” Adam pushed back from the table and crossed to the coffee pot to refill his cup. He offered some to Cat, but she shook her head. “I just…” He leaned on the counter, pursing his lips. “You two seemed to… I don’t know.”

Cat leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs as she stared at her oldest son. Her stomach fluttered nervously, putting together the pieces of what Adam wasn’t saying just as much as he what he was. “Are you implying that I was sleeping with my assistant?” she asked bluntly.

Adam choked on his coffee, his features turning brilliantly red. Cat waited him out as he coughed and spluttered before setting his coffee cup in the sink. He cleared his throat. “No…” he croaked. “Of course not.”

“You’re implying something, Adam.”

He sighed. “Kara is just very devoted… to you. I mean, she learned you backwards and forwards, Cat. The slightest little inflection in your voice, and Kara knew what you were thinking, what you needed, and what to do about it. And you… you listened to her, which we both know is a big deal.” Adam raked a hand through his hair. “The way you talk about her, _talked_ about her,” he corrected quickly with a wince, “you’re not like that with anyone else.” 

It was surreal, Cat decided, the way people corrected themselves as if she’d died. She supposed, in a way, she sort of had, the most recent version of her at least. “Did you ever ask me directly?” 

“No. Didn’t have the guts.” Adam smiled sheepishly. “For what it’s worth, if it happened then… if it happened now… Kara is a hell of a catch, Cat.”

“It didn’t happen then,” Cat said with certainty. “I don’t sleep with my direct reports. Ever.”

Nodding, Adam crossed his arms. “Okay, but, that’s not a denial of interest,” he pointed out.

“Adam,” Cat scolded. “I don’t even remember the damn girl.”

“Some part of you does. You were a... handful... at the hospital until she showed up. Kara mellows you out.”

“Hmph.” Cat wasn’t sure she liked the idea of anyone handling her, but she was even more intrigued with Kara than before, and slightly warier.

“And don’t get mad at her for the letter. You all worked that out.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” 

Carter bounded into the kitchen. “I gotta go. Will you be all right?”

Cat smiled, touched by his concern. She ran a hand through his curls. “I’ll be fine. I’m going into the office shortly.”

Her youngest frowned.

“I have a lot of catching up to do, sweetheart. I’ll be fine.”

“Kara will be there, right? If you need anything?” Carter asked, and Adam snorted faintly.

Cat gave Adam a playful glare. “Honestly, it’s like you both think I can’t function without the girl.”

Carter grinned. “You just function better with her than without her,” he explained before giving her a kiss on the cheek. He crossed to Adam, giving him a hug. “See you in a few days.”

“You got it, buddy.”

Swallowing past the lump in her throat at the sight of them, Cat knew she couldn’t be mad at Kara for what she’d done if her actions had led to this. She thought this was out of her reach, that she’d destroyed any chance of her sons ever being brothers. 

“Bye, Mom,” Carter said with a wave before heading out.

“Bye, Carter.” Cat waited for him to leave before she got to her feet. 

“Look,” Adam said when the front door opened and closed. “All I’m going to say about Kara is that she makes you happy. You trust her. More than you trust just about anyone. I don’t know if it was just friendship or something more between you two, but… don’t be afraid to let her in again, Mom.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the word, and Adam blinked, realizing what he’d just called her. They stared at each other a moment. 

“I’ll consider it,” Cat answered a little breathless, happiness swelling in her chest and crowding out her fear and grief. It wouldn’t last, Cat knew, but she’d take it for however long it did.

****


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the _long_ delay! Working on the Supergirl Virtual Season ate up most of my time the last several months, but I hope to get back to all my works in progress soon.

Alex picked up a sponge to deal with the dishes, but Maggie’s arms encircled her waist, drawing her back into warm, familiar curves. 

"I got this. Go talk to her.”

"You wound up cooking for us, least I can do is—"

Maggie plucked the sponge from her hand, and Alex turned to snatch it back only to be distracted with a kiss. She pouted when it ended too soon.

"Kara held up pretty well with bacon and eggs in front of her, but I think she needs to talk to her big sister before work," Maggie said. “It’s too quiet in there.” 

Alex sighed, appreciating Maggie's features in the morning light. With her clothes wrinkled and hair mussed from sleep, she was temptingly soft and beautiful. If they'd been in her apartment right now, she would lure Maggie back to bed, to hell with the time.

"Thank you," Alex murmured. Kara could hear every word they were saying if she wanted to, but Alex suspected she was lost in her own head again. Maggie was right. The apartment was too quiet. "You're being amazing with all this."

Maggie shrugged, shy as always with Alex's praise. "This whole mess makes you think, you know? She lost something precious. If you forgot about me, I..." She swallowed roughly. “Guess I’m feeling lucky to have this.” 

"Yeah." Alex ran her fingers through the hair at Maggie's temple. "I'm definitely lucky."

With a smile, Maggie leaned in, kissing her again with a little more passion. "Go on. We're all going to be late." She slapped Alex on the hip and turned toward the counter to clean up.

Alex polished off her last, lukewarm sip of coffee and set the mug in the sink before seeking out her sister. She found Kara on the edge of her bed, staring out the windows, and twirling her glasses between her fingers. She wasn't crying, but the lost look in her eyes made Alex's heart clench. Kara said nothing when she settled next to her, their shoulders touching.

"What can I do?" Alex asked. 

Kara scrounged up a hurting smile. "You're doing it. You and Maggie both. Thank you for being here."

"Always." Alex took her hand, tangling their fingers. "Why don't you call in sick? James would understand, and no one would blame you."

Shaking her head, Kara slipped her glasses on. "Not sure being heartsick qualifies for PTO."

"You could spend the day with Cat, though. Help her adjust to her new normal."

"I don't want to push. She doesn't remember me, Alex. She tolerated my presence last night when all this was new, but the longer it goes on..." Kara sighed. "Cat's not a... patient person."

"Noooo," Alex drawled, deadpan, and Kara's lips twitched in a weak grin.

"I don't want to get on her nerves. And I did. When I first started working at CatCo? Oh, I did."

Alex remembered. She had to turn her phone off during DEO training when it had been pinging with texts every five minutes. "True, but you know all the things that drove her up a wall in advance now. You can avoid them."

"The shortcuts. Maggie said that last night."

"Exactly." Alex let go of Kara's hand to drape her arm around her sister's shoulders and tug her closer. "You can play Cat Grant like a fiddle now."

Kara snorted. "No one plays Cat Grant. I should give her time to process everything. I'll text her later today. Go by tonight before I patrol."

"Mmm." Alex gave Kara an hour, two at the most, before she reached out. 

"I can give someone space.”

"Sure."

"I can," Kara insisted, but another smile tugged at her lips as Alex’s gentle teasing improved her mood. 

"Most people? Probably. Cat? Not so sure about that. Not when she needs you. You have an almost Pavlovian response where your former boss is concerned."

"I drool when she rings a bell?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of she says your name and you come running." Alex hesitated, biting her lip. She’d kept her thoughts about Kara and Cat to herself earlier, but her gut told her to talk about them now. 

"Speaking of drooling, do you..." Alex took a deep breath and bit the bullet. "Do you have... feelings for Cat?"

"Feelings?" Kara's brow crinkled behind her glasses.

"Feelings," Alex enunciated. "Like, _feelings_." Not the most eloquent way to put it, but the moment was uncomfortable as hell. She had been where Kara was now, oblivious to her growing attraction to a woman until she’d been forced to confront it. Maybe her experiences could help guide Kara through this.

"Feelings," Kara breathed. "You mean... oh."

"Yeah."

Kara shot off the bed, walking to the windows before she faced Alex again. Her hand was trembling when she reached up to adjust her glasses. "No. She's... Cat. And I'm... I'm..."

Alex stood and drifted closer. She heard Maggie puttering around the kitchen, straightening up and giving them the time and space to talk. Her presence was a vivid reminder that even though the journey of self-discovery could be terrifying at times, it was worth taking. 

"You've had a crush on Cat for a long time, Kara. I thought it was professional, at first, or that you had developed a case of hero worship or something. But when Cat left CatCo, you... struggled."

"She's my mentor. Her guidance was gone. I—"

"Missed her like crazy."

Kara stared at Alex for an unnerved moment. "There is nothing between the two of us." 

"I know." Alex gripped Kara's shoulders, unimaginable power coiled in the muscles beneath her fingertips. Kara could conquer the world before lunch, but with matters of the heart, she was just as weak as the rest of them. 

"What are you asking me then?" Her voice was soft, afraid.

"Do you want there to be?"

Blue eyes fluttered closed. "Alex..." 

"It's scary to admit what you're feeling. To acknowledge something you pushed down because you didn't want to deal with the consequences. But Kara..." Alex waited until her sister faced her again. "You need to decide what kind of relationship you want from Cat as you two find a way back to each other."

"She doesn't remember. Even if... even if I did... feel something... I..."

Alex pulled her into a hug. "I'm here for you. Maggie is here for you. We can help."

Kara held Alex tighter for a long, silent moment. "I was jealous when Cat thought she was still married. I was jealous. Why would I be jealous?"

Alex remembered a street corner, an offer of a drink, and watching Maggie kiss another woman. She closed her eyes, the pang in her chest as sharp now as it was then. "Yeah. Been there. Done that."

"What do I do?"

"Decide what you want. Who you want." Alex leaned back and cupped her sister's cheeks. "We'll start from there."

*** 

"Ms. Grant!"

Cat glanced to her left as a young blonde shot out of the assistant's chair like it was spring-loaded. The doors to her private elevator closed behind her, and Cat's gaze swept over the startled faces in the bullpen. At least there was a handful she recognized.

"Ms. Grant, I didn't realize you would be in today, what with... well... the incident..."

"Yes. The _incident_. You are?"

"Eve. Eve Tessmacher. I'm Mr. Olsen's assistant." She was smart enough not to offer her hand. Cat gave her points for that.

"Olsen?" Cat frowned. She hadn't considered that she would name an interim CEO, but she supposed that's what one did when one stepped down from running an empire.

"James Olsen," Eve elaborated.

Cat blinked. She'd lured Jimmy Olsen away from the Daily Planet? Hot damn.

"Where is he?"

"In a board meeting. He should be along in a few minutes. Can I get you anything?"

"You know how I like my lattes?"

"Absolutely. I’ll be right back." Eve hustled for the private elevator only to detour at the last second and head toward the lobby. Cat watched her go, bemused.

She turned back to her gaping employees. "All right. Let's get this out of the way. Yes, I can't remember the last four years. No, my memories aren't likely to return. If I bothered to learn your names in the past, let's just blame the memory-sucking alien for me forgetting them. Shall we?"

"Cat?"

Used to seeing Jimmy in jeans and t-shirts with a camera looped around his neck, she hardly recognized the broad, handsome man in a suit and tie coming toward her. He was both imposing and disarmingly attractive. He'd adapted to power well.

"Jimmy."

"I prefer James now." He smiled. "What are you doing here? I was going to call today. I figured you would want—"

Cat pivoted on her heel and strode into her office, leaving him to scurry after her. "I'm sure you're doing an excellent job in my absence, but I think you can understand why I need to be back in the thick of things."

"Of course." James frowned when she dropped her purse on the floor beside the desk and settled into her chair. "But a lot changed since... uh... in the last four years."

"I would imagine. I need to familiarize myself with those changes."

James sat down across from her.

"Are those free weights?" Cat sneered at the rack in the corner.

"I'll-I'll move them. Are you sure it's a good idea to be back so soon?"

"Like sitting in the big chair, James? Don't want to relinquish your hold?" 

He smiled again, the expression irritatingly patient. "Maybe, but I'm more worried about you. You're going through a lot. I can send over all the reports, back issues, and meeting minutes you need. Whatever you want to catch up without having to be surrounded by a sea of strangers."

"I can access all of those things here. Perhaps the Cat Grant that left six months ago was fine walking away from CatCo, but I'm not. This is my company. This is my chair. In my office."

"Of course," James repeated. 

Cat willed herself to relax. "I'm not demoting you, James. I need you to continue with the day-to-day until such time as I'm confident to resume my role as CEO. When that happens, we'll find a permanent position to your liking. You have my word."

"You haven't seen me in action. You sure you want to make a promise like that?"

"I reviewed the financials this morning. CatCo is doing well, and I wouldn't leave you in charge if I didn't trust you." 

James nodded, appearing more comfortable with the arrangement now. "So what can I do to help?"

"Well, speaking of trust..." Cat glanced out at the bullpen, looking for one face in particular. "I'm going to need an assistant. Someone familiar with the ins and outs of CatCo. Someone familiar with... me."

"Sure. Who do you want?"

Cat smiled.

****

Mind full and heart heavy, Kara trudged into Snapper's office half an hour late. Alex had given her a lot to think about, and she'd spent some time in the air to clear her head. 

"Ponytail. Nice of you to join us," Snapper greeted in a bored tone.

Kara plunked a small white sack on his desk. Snapper gave her a suspicious glance before peering inside. "Peace offering. Sorry, I'm late. I had to... deal with some stuff."

"Bribing the boss? Didn't think you had it in you." He pulled out a Danish, hooking his thumb at the whiteboard behind him. "Pick your story."

Her eyes widened. "Pick? All I needed to land a better story was to bring you a Danish?"

"No. Most of the other reporters are later than you. Subway is down."

Kara's gaze skimmed over her options. The moment would be sweeter if she had earned the choice in Snapper's eyes, but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, as the weird Earth saying went.

"Kara?" James poked his head in the office, offering Snapper a tight smile. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

"Hurry up, Danvers. The real reporters will here soon. Don't want to miss your chance."

Kara rolled her eyes and stepped out into the hall with James. " _Real_ reporters. Can you believe—"

"Cat's here."

Her heart lurched violently. No. This was bad. Really bad. She couldn’t face Cat yet. Not when she was so confused about what she was feeling. 

Kara leaned around him, spying Cat in her office. Dressed smartly in a royal blue dress that hugged her curves, the Queen of All Media had resumed her throne. The sight sent a jolt through her, and Kara bit back a whine, not sure what the sensation meant or what she wanted it to mean. 

"Oh, crap."

"Yeah." James sighed, oblivious to her emotional quandary. "It gets worse."

"Worse?" Kara squeaked. She doubted this day could get worse.

"Cat's reassigning you."

Her gaze whipped back on him. "To what?"

"Um... she wants you back as her assistant." He winced in sympathy.

Her confusion gave way to a rush of a different emotion, one she couldn't mistake. "She _what_?" Kara shouted.


End file.
